Health Dept "Bans" my son?!! Refuses to care if he gets a heart infection?

[RadUnschooler]

First a little history. My son was born with some heart defects and had open-heart surgery when he was two yo. He has to have antibiotics before any dental work. It is very hard for him to let a doctor do anything to him because he was traumatised from the surgery and once when his heart docs staff gave him medicine to drink so he would be calm for the echo. He threw up and they tried again...needless to say i couldn't get him to take any medicine since then when he got sick. I hide it in a drink.
Last month i noticed two cavities on his upper molars. I called his heart doc and she sent me a script for antibiotics that he has to take an hour before he has any dental work and permission to sedate him. I called a pediatric dental clinic and found out that they want 75. dollars for the x-rays plus something for the exam for a total of 122.!!! It can't be paid in payments,it has to be paid full!!!(That's the first visit)
We don't have it. I made an appt. at the Titusville health dept in Brevard County,FL. (yes,I want it known!) I did alot of talking to my son talking him what to expect and please let them do the x-rays. We got there and the dentist had his asst. put the xray thing in his mouth with no explaining or nothing and he refused it,she did it again while i was talking to him and he held it in a bit longer but not enough,3rd time he almost held it...almost made it!! Then she said they can't do it because he won't comply. You think for a first time 7 yo. old scared boy they would have more patience...more "tools" to use,more trying????
She then went on to lecture me that it was a "Behavioral managment" problem and scared me saying we might have to go 100 miles away for him to get dental work and I should call CMS (children's medical services) maybe they could help us. We left. I called CMS, they don't do dental! Good ol' florida run around. It happens alot here! Pass the buck to get rid of you.
Okay to shorten this story a little, I gave him pain medicine and put oral gel on the cavities and he was okay for awhile. My husband was telling me not to worry.
It was okay until until a few days ago! My son said they was a bump on his gum. I looked and freaked! He has one,a soft,big bump on his upper gum! I called his heart doc and she gave me antibiotics for him and i was crying to her because if an infection gets in his bloodstream it can infect his heart! I am a wreck!
I talked to him and told him he has to let them work on his mouth and he promised me he would so i thought to try the health dept again. When i called them i told them he would let them but they said they wouldn't take him because he didn't cooperate. I'm like what? For how long...forever???
Is this any way for them to do a child? They don't care if my son lives or winds up in the hospital???
What am I supposed to do? Would you be mad? WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY SON? PLEASE HELP!!! He needs his teeth worked on so please anyone give me advice.

[LavenderMae]

I can't believe them, that is ridiculous of them not to take your son again. I really wish I had some advice for you. I am so sorry this happened.

[4evermom]

A good dentist can do basic work without taking xrays, first. But many just refuse. You may have to call around and also ask everyone you know which dentists are good with kids. They always have a really hard time getting xrays of ds' teeth, meaning one dentist managed to do it once when he was 3 1/2. He stayed in the room with ds to do it and had a great "chair side" manner. We got his name from our homeopath.

I had a spot like that on my gum as a result of needing a root canal.
When they were taking xrays during my root canal, my mouth was propped open so they had me hold the xray card in place with my thumb. That was much more comfortable than doing a bite wing. You need to find someone that can think outside the box.

I've had to put dental work on credit cards, before. We don't have dental insurance but we're signed up for a reduced fee plan through www.dentalplans.com. So we pay an annual amount ($189 for 15 month for the family) and that knocks down the regular out of pocket price considerably. It pays for itself if you need any work done. Or you can get an individual plan for one person. And you have to go to a dentist that accepts it (you can search on the website).

Good luck. It's very stressful with kids otherwise in good health, let alone ones where an infection can be a huge problem.

[dinahx]

I don't intend to let them x-ray my child at all before say age 15, so I will be having the same problems as you!

(((Hugs))) mama, I hope it gets better!

[alegna]

There used to be a dentist on the boards here- she was in FL- but I have no idea where....

smilemomma

Anyone know where she was?

-Angela

[HarperRose]

We're having our son seen at the Dental School here in San Antonio. They're doing the work for a fraction of what it would cost at a regular dentist. He can't handle regular visits (sensory processing disorder), so we're doing it under general anesthesia. (He needs A LOT of work!)

Could your ds go to a dental school near you?

[lindberg99]

I would start to look for another dentist ASAP. There has to be someone around who will treat your son respectfully and offer a payment plan. Start asking all your friends & acquaintances for names.

I hope you can find someone to take care of him soon!

[Freefromitall]

I'd put it on a credit card, or find a dentist that does plans. I hate putting things on a card, but this is a NEEDED thing, not a toy, or want, or something like that. 2

[William's Mom]

Sending you and your ds a and :

[RadUnschooler]

We had to take him to a ped. dentist. ALOT of money. He did great,got the x-rays and had his tooth pulled. He has 4 or 5 caries and has to go back but i sent hubby to the health food store for xylitol products!! Thanks to all the mention of it here!
I won't get into the big LIE the military gave my husband when he signed up and said him and his family would have free medical and dental.....wrong!

[Poddi]

I'm glad you found someone better and got his teeth taken care of. I can't believe them. My first son absolutely couldn't get x-ray done. He's also 7. He had two caps and a couple fillings done before just fine. The dentists never insisted on having x-rays.